Up to now, a socket configured as shown in FIG. 1 is used as a socket for pre-shipment inspection of the inner surface mounting type IC. This socket includes a pre-set number of contact terminals 3 arranged in a main body portion 2. Referring to FIG. 1, the portion of the contact terminal 3 lying within the main body portion 2 of the socket is bowed to follow a stepped portion in the main body portion 2 of the socket, with a distal end of the contact terminal 3 operating as a contact portion 3a and a portion of the contact terminal 3 protruded from the bottom surface of the main body portion 2 of the socket operating as a terminal 3b. A retainer member 5 is rotationally mounted via a hinge 4 on the main body portion 2 of the socket.
An IC 6 to be housed in the socket 1 is housed in its main body portion 2 with a bump 7 as an external electrode on the bottom surface of a main body portion 8 of the IC in position for contacting with a contact portion 3a of a contact terminal 3 arranged in the main body portion 2 of the socket. The IC 6 is thrust and supported in position by a thrusting portion 5a provided as a boss on a surface of the retainer member 5 which is rotated for closing an upper opening side of the main body portion 2 of the socket. When rotated for closing the opening side of the main body portion 2 of the socket to thrust and support the IC 6 housed in the main body portion 2 of the socket, as shown in FIG. 1, the retainer member 5 is locked by a lock member, not shown, provided in the main body portion 2 of the socket, whereby the IC 6 is kept in the thrust and supported state.
The above-described socket 1 can be used for such a case wherein the bump arraying pitch is broader and wherein two rows of bumps are each arranged on opposite sides of the bottom of the main body portion 8 of the IC, as shown in FIG. 1. However, the above-described configuration cannot be applied to a ball grid array (BGA) type IC or to a chip size package (CSP) type IC in which a large number of bumps are arranged in a matrix configuration on the bottom of the main body portion of the IC. That is, in the socket 1 shown in FIG. 1, contact portions 3a of contact terminals 3 constituted by metal pins are bowed for extending along the bottom surface of the main body portion 2 of the socket, plural bumps formed on the BGA type or CSP type IC are simultaneously contacted with the sole contact portions 3a to render it impossible to cause the bumps and the contact portions 3a to be contacted with each other independently.